1 post tagged “comedy”

   2008 is coming up fast, and I've been coming up with a rough draft of resolutions for the new year. One of my main resolutions is to watch 120 new films throughout the year, broken down into about 10 films a month. Now that may not sound like a big number to someone who constantly watches films, but with graduation and a thesis to write in the next few months I won't exactly have a lot of freetime to kick back with a good flick. Not to mention going to the movies these days is getting extremely pricey, and new DVDs aren't cheap either. Still, I'm going to try and make time to watch that many movies.
   Looking back on 2007 is still fun though. Despite my year being fairly ordinary (yet incredibly fast), I did manage to see a lot of good movies. To me it felt like this year was big for comedies, as most of my big picks for the year seem to consist of such. Good to see that something so "simple" can get the appreciation it deserves; comedy is harder to pull off than you'd think though.
   Anyway, here are my top ten favorite films of this year, including some that - before 2007 - I had never seen before:

Spider-Man 3 (Special Edition)

10. Spider-Man 3, 2007 -- Am I seriously the only person that liked this movie? Sure, it wasn't the gritty, serious movie that it probably should have been, but if you watch it with an open-mind (and a light heart) you'll find it to be a lot of fun to watch. You can't go wrong with "emo" hair, a blond Bryce Dallas Howard, and a saucy dance number. Oh yeah, and there's Venom too.

L'Auberge Espagnole (The Spanish Apartment)

9. L'Auberge Espagnole (The Spanish Apartment), 2002 -- A great French film I came across earlier this year. Don't let the Region 1 cover fool you, Audrey Tautou has such a minor role in the film it's barely worth mentioning. Everything about this film overall just clicked with me, from the interesting and diverse cast of characters to the unique, contemporary filmmaking technique.

Juno - Trailer

8. Juno, 2007 -- Okay, so it may not be the "indie film of the year" like I thought it would be, but it definitely was well worth watching. It's like Knocked Up's little sister (making Juno and Superbad siblings?), with a heartwarming tale that'll leave a smile on your face. My only problem is it also leaves you wanting more. Much more. Let's hope for an extended edition on DVD in 2008. Still, don't let that discourage you; it's well worth a trip to the movies, and I believe it now has a wide release, so it should be playing at a theater near you.

Devils on the Doorstep

7. Devils on the Doorstep, 2000 -- Despite seeing dozens of new foreign films this year this is the only Chinese film that actually made my top ten list. It's really one of the most stand-out films I've seen in a long time, and one that deserves a larger appreciation than it currently has. Jiang Wen, one of mainland China's most premiere directors, was banned from directing (until this year) because of this film.

Shaun of the Dead

6. Shaun of the Dead, 2004 -- Yeah, I'm surprised I never saw this movie before too, being the huge George Romero fan that I am. This film is quite possibly the best homage to Night of the Living Dead I have ever seen, and it's a romantic comedy to boot! What I find funny is how many people say that this film is to zombie movies as Scary Movie is to slashers and other horror films; they just don't get it. Ah well, now fans and non-fans of zombie movies have something they both can enjoy.

Chasing Amy (The Criterion Collection)

5. Chasing Amy, 1997 -- Take Kevin Smith's sharp, witty dialogue, an oddball romance, eccentric characters, and you've actually got one of the most romantic films I've seen in a long time. It almost feels completely different from Clerks and Mallrats, and I can definitely see why Criterion decided to put this one out.

Memento (Limited Edition)

4. Memento, 2001 -- As a writer I just love the narrative structure of the film. It's perfect for this gritty neo-noir whose focus is memory and revenge. The dark and somber mood is also something I particularly like, and overall the film is a mix of everything I'd like to achieve as a filmmaker and writer. And that's saying a lot.

Superbad (Unrated Extended Edition)

3. Superbad, 2007 -- Remember when I said this year was big on comedies? Yeah, this one here is one of the biggest reasons why. Superbad is one of the funniest movies I've seen since The 40-Year-Old Virgin (one of my favorite comedies, period), and it's one of the few comedies that I'd gladly pay to see in theaters - which I did. Despite being a teen comedy that doesn't pull punches when it comes to potty mouths and sex jokes, it definitely speaks to my generation.

Rushmore (The Criterion Collection)

2. Rushmore, 1998 -- I don't ever remember actually finishing the entire movie before this year, which is the reason why it made my list. Oh god, I can't even think about where to begin with Rushmore... it's just pure genius from start to finish, a film only Wes Anderson could make. And the soundtrack is incredible.

Knocked Up (Unrated Collector's Edition)